WHAT IS SEXUAL ABUSE?

Sexual abuse is when an older or more powerful person uses a child or young person for sexual purposes. Sexual Abuse can take many forms.
One obvious sort of this abuse is when an adult puts something into the abused genitals or bottom. (This something could be anything from their penis, fingers, an object or their tongue). Another very clear form of abuse is when an adult persuades the victim to touch their or another adult’s genitals.
Stroking or touching a child or young person in a sexual way is also abuse. Sexual touching is when an adult is touching the child in order to gain sexual excitement for him or herself. It is NOT about showing affection or comforting or looking after a child.
"I always used to give my grandfather a hug and a kiss when I went to visit, but I hated it when he wanted me to sit on his lap. I was too old and he started to tickle me in embarrassing places and breathing heavy. If I tried to get off he would act as though I had upset him. I felt horrible but didn’t know what to do."
Some other forms of sexual abuse do not involve touching. Examples include making as child:
Watch people having sex;
Look at pornography (sexual; books and pornographic films);
Pose for sexual photographs/pictures.
A person can be sexually abusive in verbal ways, including;
Sexually commenting about a child’s body;
Talking to a child about sex to deliberately excite them.
"My uncle was always making so-called jokes about my body and "accidentally" touching me"
Somebody that is known to the child carries out most sexual abuse. Often this is a family member – someone the child loves and trusts. Sometimes the abuser is somebody outside of the family unit but in a relationship of authority over the child – such as baby-sitters, youth workers and so on.